Customer Reviews

Promises to the Dead

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Again I found myself swept away in another one of ms hahns books,I started reading doll in the garden when I was in 7th grade and must have read that book a million times in my 34 years,,I have yet to find a book of hers I did not like,,,Promises to the dead I read in one day I couldn't put it down,it was a heartfilled book allowing the reader to step into the past and see the life that once was,,everyone knows the civil war history but not like this Hahn has capture the past in picture perfect wring.growing up in Maryland I never knew about these events.Ms.Hahn I love you're books and this for some reason touched mu heart, it is really nice to get away from what I have to read and write every day and be swept away to another place in time..being a big cat specialist/conservationist reading and writing about my things comes very hard,but getting away and stepping. Into one of your books makes it better ..Thank You Ms.Hahn for all the wonderful years

i thought this book was very interesting it told a lot about how it was when there was slaves.people who like mysteries and thrillers should read this i think mary downing is a great writer and that everyone should read it to find out what it was really like in a persons point of view that was there when there was slaves.

This book, Promises to the Dead, is a great book that took place during the Civil War time. It begins when Jesse is hunting turtles for the family's famous soup in the family down in the creek. The next thing he knows is that he's finding himself promising a dying slave women that he'll take her young son, Perry, to a relative in Baltimore. Caring for a slave was against the law and against everthing Jesse was thought. He can't break a promise made to the dead and more importanly, he must follow what in his heart is right. The journey turns out complety different from what Jesse thought. He comes upon many hard decisions and tough choices he must do for what he thinks is right. Does Jesse make it through? Read the book to find out!!
I did like the book because it was suspensful and tought you to do was right from wrong. It really made you think of what is important in life. I would recommend the book if you like to be in suspense and if you like books on Historical Fiction and wars.

ALL HER BOOKS ARE THE BEST. MY GRANDDAUGHTER WHO IS 10 LOVES THESE BOOKS AND HAS READ ALMOST ALL OF THEM.

(...)I just got done reading the book Promises to the Dead. Promises to the Dead is a mystery book. It's about a boy who has to take a slave woman's child to a relative in Baltimore. When they get there, they find out that the relative wasn't there. So,they go on a journey to find her. Along the way, they get into some trouble. If you like mystery books, you should definitely read this book.

Jesse's search for turtles in a swamp leads him to newresponsibilities and reluctant encounters with slavery as he makes apromise to a dying slave woman that her young son will be taken to asafe home in Baltimore. Jesse's beliefs conflict with his promise and are complicated by his young charge's stubbornness in this different story of a move to freedom.

This book moved along well and had a lot of interesting historical information carefully and artfully woven into the fabric of the story. We got the viewpoint of a boy who was taught one way of looking at the world, but learned another and grew from the experience in a tangible way by the ending. It was also realistic in it's portrals and results. A good read for any age, insightful and would be good for young readers who will see it as a fun adventure, but might walk away with a better understanding of what it takes to change the way we think as a society. At the least they'll enjoy it and learn some history along the way.